Friday, September 17, 2010

THE THING ABOUT US : SEMBANG POLITIK

In a chat room....

Blog Reader: Kenapa tak tulis pasal politik lagi dalam blog u?
Akula: Dah pencen. Blog tu pun dah tutup kedai.
Blog Reader: Missed your pendapat and views.
Akula: Alah, biasa je, pendapat and views orang lain lagi dasat.
Blog Reader: Btw bro, not that I nak kutuk you, but your current blog sucks! Citer pasal hidup and traveling jer! Masa kat NLNT (Nasi Lemak Nescafe Tarik) meletup-letup.
Akula: Hahaha, memang pun. Maleh la nak citer pasal politik.

Well, thats the opinion of a loyal peminat, when we chat a little while back.

I have to agree, my current writing focused more on the subjects that bore readers to death. Life for example, or traveling, and stayed away from discussing about politics.

My now defunct blog Nasi Lemak and Nescafe Tarik used to attract about thousands of hits a day, especially when I wrote about hot political issues. It was even featured once in a while in Malaysiakini if I quoted stories or articles published there. Readers actively participate and left comments to argue their point of views. Some liked my writings and others hated it of course, but none were shy to let their opinion be heard. Just the way I wanted it to be. I was even approached by a friend who was very active in politics to write some research materials for his political masters, which I politely declined to guarantee impartiality in my writings.

Then one day out of the blue, I decided not to write about politics anymore, and shut down Nasi Lemak and Nescafe Tarik after 3 years of active service.

I guess I just got tired of the never ending soap opera shit in politics. Nothing seems as it were. Promises were made and never kept. Ordinary people on the street like you and me were being made to feel as insignificant as the single cell amoeba. We were taken for granted and our intelligence were being insulted and stabbed brutally left and right by politicians. Morons reigns supreme.

Got tired of it all.

But that doesnt mean I didnt follow the happenings in politics.

I really think its vital for us to at least update ourselves with those current issues since it will helps us decide whom we will choose to lead us. I dont subscribe to the notion that the political leaders are the one who would determined our course. It should be the other way around. We, the man on the street, holds that precious votes and the choice to choose whom we think our leaders should be and what direction we want them to lead us. We are definitely not subservient to them. We reserved the right and the liberty to question and raise matters that involved our interests.

Its easier said than done.

I would describe our society as a society of sopan santun, berbudi bahasa and taat pemimpin. We were brought up that way and we were taught by our elders not to be kurang ajar. Thats what we are. We kept our opinions deep inside us and dare not question our leaders. When we finally had the courage to speak out, others including our colleagues and friends will label us as tak reti bahasa, takde adab, tak hormat. For me its not about being kurang ajar and all that, its about our right as the one who put them (our political leaders) up there in the first place. They owed it to us to at least listen to our opinions and what we have to say. Policies made should be sold to us, the ordinary citizens first. It should not be bulldozed and implemented at their whim and fancies since the end results will severely impact our life, not theirs.

I think, today, we are politically mature enough to decide whats best for us. Those days of simple carrot and stick methodology that were practiced and adopted widely by our leaders would not work anymore. We are more aware of our rights, more outspoken with our thoughts and are more diligent with our choices. When all these clash with the guards of those old, outdated thoughts and ancient way of doing things, it cannot but end in political chaos.

Interesting, yes. But at the same time its exhausting. Perhaps I will write again about politics when its volatile and swirling dust calmly settle down in the near future.

In the meantime, I'll stick to writing about travels and life in this blog that sucks.

:)

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